In 2006 Rep Ronnie Miller Of Robert Kacher French Wine Selections Brings Winemaker/Owner To Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits To Taste

I'm embarrassed to say it but my job now is to remember who this is that Ronnie Miller our rep for Bobby Kacher of the Robert Kacher portfolio of French wines is? I love his smile in these pictures. It's a radiant, softer, very natural smile that speaks volumes to me and I will ask Ronnie next time that he comes to our store in Cleveland Park, Washington N.W. D.C.




Usually I have pictured with the owners/winemakers a bottle of their wine to remember more easily. In this case it might have been just a visit to say " hello ".




I was using a camera at this time that gave me a bit fuzzier images and yet in these pictures it works well. This pleases me and I promise to finally bring these pictures, the man and his wines to light and to life really soon.




I should have done this months ago, really. I took them just as I was starting to use digital photos and switch off of the regular ones with film. I did it grudgingly and without much willingness on my part at the time. I am glad to have these photos, though.

More important I am very happy to have met this French winemaker/owner. That's what I now enjoy most besides of course their wines : putting the two together.

Cheers, TONY




It's December 1st, 2009 here at my home in northern Virginia on a clear, blue-skied, brisk, really cold Tuesday morning as I finally post this three or more years after our meeting. Could I have been any slower?

We still enjoy very much buying the Robert Kacher wines from Ronnie Miller and Antoine Songy. It's probably been a couple of years since I saw Bobby. Cheers to all of you and Happy Holidays 2009 ...



This is a current bit that's fun to add now so many years later as it's all part of one great fun story that started with Bobby so many years ago, and just like Bobby started so many years ago so did my friendship with Antoine Songy start so many years ago here in Washington D.C., and through Elaine yesterday as she shopped here at Clevleand Park Wines & Spirits for two bottles of wine I was reminded of this, Saturday. December 21st, 2013. Here is what I posted on our Facebook page about that at : Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits and posted here. LIKE our Facebook page and see what I write daily of these stories and so much more. Happy Holidays everyone 2013, and may 2014 be grand for us all!  TONY


Elaine that knows Antoine that lives in the same apartment building here that enjoyed some pretty special high-end French wines together with him recently called asking if we had any Petit Cassagne French Costieres de Nimes wine from the Robert Kacher selection portfolio. I said : " No but to come by and that I would have some great Kacher selections for her chose from for her Asian meal she was attending or preparing. I showed her the CAZE " Le Canon Du Marechal BIO dry red French blend of Syrah and Merlot, $12.99, a bottle, and the Herve Gantier " La Reserve " 2011 dry red blend from the DOMAINE Du SAINTE-EUGENIE, $16.99, ... and we chatted, had a great visit, and I think Elaine you will be happy and that I will see you again soon. Cheers, say : : Bonjour " for me to Antoine : Happy & Merry Christmas and New Year et Joyeux Noel et Bonne Annee a vous deux! Anthony ( TONY ) Quinn 12/21/13 Saturday and it's been unseasonably warm all day! LOVE it, bad for business, great for the heart and soul!! Enjoy!! TONY


In this picture below is John one of my favorite customers. he and his wife Danielle still shop with us and I just saw them this last week in the store. LOVE this continuity! Really I do, it also keeps the store alive and vibrant and relevant and ... in business! Cheers,  TONY



John, I hope you and Danielle have a great Christmas 2013 ,  you have some great wines to celebrate with that you just bought, and over the years have bought many of Bobby Kacher's selections that we buy every year from Ronnie Miller and Antoine Songy. So good to see you pictured here talking with the owners and winemakers themselves that make this all possible. Joyeux Noel et Bonne Annee a tous!   TONY

It's My Birthday Today Dec. 27th, 2008 And I'm At Work : The Story Of My Life Lately !

     And am I happy about being at work?!? No, not all all. Does it bum me out? YES! Does it make me mad?!? You bet, and yet it is a beautiful, unseasonably warm day today and I just got a call from my son wishing me " Happy Birthday " and I liked that. I still have not talked to me daughter. They both slept later this morning and I was gone to get here to Washington D.C. to Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits before they rose. Oh well, that's okay.

     My wife was up, she returned from walking our terrior-mix breed dog and made me some " birthday bacon " which I ate four slices of and loved. Thanks hon!!! You are the best!!!!

     All is well, I will open some bubbly here and enjoy that with our customers that come in search of councel and wine/beer/liquor suggestions all throughout the day. I like this part of the job a lot. Susan was just here, she just bought wine and beer and bubbly for her party tomorrow. She's also a Capricorn as my daughter and I both are and I discovered that tomorrow is her birthday! Cheers Susan.

     All is well, I'm off across the street to Byblos to get some of their soup I think for my lunch. I'll write a bit of the daily family journal, too.

     My son wanted to know if I still wrote it. I said : " Of course ". And he said " good ", that it was much more important than me writing all these blogs. He is correct. I won't forget to write the journal son.

     Happy New Year 2009! We're off to see my mom tomorrow. That will be nice. Sante, cheers, be safe and well and healthy and enjoy the life you have as much as you possibly can.   TONY

Snowfall In Northern Virginia Chez Nous - Notre Quartier

I love the snow! This was a fairly large one for our D.C. metropolitan area.

Actually, I live in northern Virginia about a forty-five minute drive from my work. Here are some pictures that I took in 2006 that I thought you might all enjoy looking at. I will write more, of course, but here are the pictures in the meantime to inspire us all. So much white everywhere!

It's Friday night at home all warm inside at 11:14 PM on December 19th, 2008 as I type these last words before posting this blog.

What a contrast this blog and pictures are to the previous one about roasting marshmallows out back on our fire!

Cheers, and Happy Holiday 2009 and Happy New Year 2009! TONY

Marshmallows By Our Outdoor Fire With Family And Friends, Enjoying Wine, Too Early 2008

I'm glad I took these photos. My son's friend Grace was visiting and we were roasting marshmallows on " an open flame " - gotta love that image as today it is December 19th, 2008 as I type these words and it sure is close to Christmas and the holiday spirit I believe is in the air pretty much for whatever holidays we celebrate.

It's just that time of year and fires are nice. My wife and I enjoyed some wine, too on this evening around our fire out on our deck in the back yard. I love the flames, the dying of the natural daylight and the light flickering strong at times, weak at others, wind dependent ... the changing light and the reflections off the wine glasses and the browning of the marshmallows all in one.

Cheers and Happy Holidays to One and To All of Us. TONY

Miriam, Owner of VALDIPIATTA Tuscany, Italy Sends Me Four Cans Of Fabulous Extra Virgin Olive Oil In Late 2008

     Miriam, thanks. You make the best extra virgin Tuscan olive oil at VALDIPIATTA!

     Here you are in at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits in these pictures tasting your wines including the flavorful, intense, classic 2006 Rosso di Montepulciano ( $19.99 ) that is medium-to-lighter-bodied, dry, good balance and definition and best when served with food including the use of some of your fabulous extra virgin Tuscan olive oil that we are thoroughly enjoying at our home in northern Virginia. Thanks again from all of us. 

     I really appreciate that you took the time and effort to send us this special gift through the mail. 

     Cheers , and Happy Holidays to you and your family and to all our friends and family and customers, too.  TONY

COMPANY'S COMING : Ed & Jinny Dinner/ Wine-Tasting At Their Home Thursday, October 2nd, 2008

I was invited by Ed and Jinny Fleischman to their home in Washington D.C. N.W. on Thursday, October 2nd at 7 PM to do an Italian-Theme Wine-Food-Pairing Dinner for them and their invited guests. We spend all this time preparing the dinner and I talk some about the wines as we get things ready to later sit down to a wonderful spread of foods in a warm and inviting table and dining space. Intimate and inviting with no pretensions just relaxation and celebration of one's hard efforts shared amongst friends and new acquaintances!

This is perhaps the sixth one that I have done and it was a blast as usual. I have lots to say and many pictures more to download but here are some of them starting with the ones at the end and going backwards so as to tell the story better and in the order that it occur ed. Stay-tuned for more really soon.

It's Saturday evening at 10:45 PM at home here in Virginia on December 13th, 2008.

Enjoy , TONY